Climbing Skills Series: Top Rope Anchors

Friday, October 9, 2026
1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Allendale Campus, Off Campus
Students

This hybrid online/ in-person workshop will give climbers a foundation of anchor building knowledge that can be applied in many climbing applications but this course will focus specifically on the equipment and techniques necessary to build a quality anchor on natural protection (e.g. trees & boulders) at west Michigan's two closest crags: the Ledges (Grand Ledge, MI) and Devil's Lake State Park (Baraboo, WI). This workshop will not include placement of traditional climbing protection. Necessary equipment for anchor construction will be provided. We strongly recommend participants in this workshop have taken the Knots workshop or be familiar with various knots for climbers beyond the figure 8 follow through tie-in.

The in-person portion will have 2 options. First is an on-campus skill session where participants will practice building basic anchors using a variety of materials in a similar environment to an outdoor climbing area. The second option includes the on-campus practice session and adds a ~1/2 day trip to Grand Ledge to put the skills to practice and do some outdoor top-roping.

Please RSVP at least 48 hours in advance in order to allow sufficient time to complete the online content and for our instructors to adequately prepare.

Upon registration, participants will be emailed access information for the online content which includes lessons on pertinent knots, anchoring materials, and important anchor building concepts. It is vital for maintaining the flow of the in-person portion that participants review this content and are proficient with the pertinent knots prior to meeting in person.

Cost: